The machine arrives ready for use, so-called plug and play, and is operated by a touch-screen mini tablet that functions as the user interface embedded on the front of the device.

The Foodini uses an advanced layering technique to make snacks like these chickpea nuggets.

(Natural Machines/Rex Features)

You prepare the fresh ingredients (with the help of a blender, food processor, or prepared by hand), load them into Foodini's food capsules, and watch it print your chosen recipe.

The machine arrives ready for use and is operated by a touch-screen mini tablet that functions as the user interface embedded on the front of the device. (Natural Machines/Rex/REX USA/Natural Machines/Rex/REX USA)

Lynette Kucsma, co-founder of the Barcelona-based comapny, says: "Foodini takes on the difficult parts of making food that is hard and/or time consuming to make fully by hand. One of our goals is to streamline some of cooking's more repetitive activities - forming dough into breadsticks, or filling and forming individual ravioli - to encourage more people to eat healthy, homemade foods.

"Choose your recipe from our online recipe site, or create your own. Then let Foodini do the hard part. You prepare and load the fresh ingredients, and Foodini will create the dish. Depending on the recipe, the food is either ready to eat after Foodini is done, such as a chocolate dessert, or you'll need to finish cooking the dish prior to eating, like ravioli."

The 3D printer can even make detailed treats like these to decorate your table at a holiday party. (Natural Machines/Rex/REX USA/Natural Machines/Rex/REX USA)

Lynette says the machine will allow people to have fun with food by creating their own recipes. Examples include animal-shaped chickpea nuggets and dinosaur-shaped spinach quiche.

Hamburger patties created by the Foodini, a 3D printer for the kitchen. (Natural Machines/Rex/REX USA/Natural Machines/Rex/REX USA)

She explains: "We printed two sets of burgers. In the pictures, the square burgers are vegetarian bean burgers, with white beans, lentils, onion and herbs. The two small round burgers are meat burgers, made with pork meat, beef, parmiggiano, walnut, red berry jam, salt and pepper."